Nutrition

Zero deaths of under-5s due to malnutrition

In Haiti malnutrition is the leading cause of death for children under 5. Some 11,000 children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition in the departments of Plateau Central and Artibonite. Zanmi Lasante’s malnutrition program aspires to ZERO deaths of children under 5 due to malnutrition. So, in 2013, the Nourimanba production center was inaugurated, combining the nutrition expertise of Abbott Funds, Zanmi Lasante’s healthcare expertise and the skills and knowledge of a local Haitian team. The Nourimanba production center is managed and operated by a Haitian team and focuses on the production of Nourimanba, a treatment for malnourished children.

Nourimanba has been produced locally and distributed by Zanmi Lasante since 2006. It is a high-calorie, high-protein paste with just five ingredients: peanuts, powdered milk, canola oil, sugar, vitamins. Nourimanba has a nutritional profile that responds very effectively to malnutrition. A 6- to 8-week course of Nourimanba revives a child on the verge of death from malnutrition.

Zanmi Lasante provides Nourimanba free of charge to patients at all its sites across the Plateau Central and Artibonite regions. The partnership also supports local farmers who supply the peanuts needed to produce Nourimanba. The focus is on the quality of the peanuts required, value chain efficiency and competitiveness. Zanmi Lasante and the Abbott Fund A program comprises three fully integrated components aimed at broadening the capabilities and increasing the incomes of local farmers: Train farmers and provide them with the necessary resources. Recruit and train new agricultural service providers Create centralized markets.